By placing the fire and chimney on opposite sides of the house and constructing a tunnel between them, heat is pulled through the tunnel, heating the floors and helping distribute heat more evenly.
By placing the fire and chimney on opposite sides of the house and constructing a tunnel between them, heat is pulled through the tunnel, heating the floors and helping distribute heat more evenly.
It's not totally clear from the diagram, but I think the fire pit itself is outside the house. The air naturally ducts underneath the floor of the house and then up the chimney in the back. There's still a chimney effect, but it gets redirected under the floor first.